Mass. broadband grants available for last-mile projects

From The Berkshire Eagle: A new grant opportunity from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) aims to make it easier for service providers and municipalities to bridge the gap between a new fiber-optic network being built and the "last mile" of connection to homes and businesses. Grant applications are due May 9 and will be awarded in June.

The competitive grants of up to $50,000 are open to a range of groups, public and private, from major service providers down to small municipalities. The grants, which will require a 25% cash or in-kind match from the recipient, are available for both planning and deployment projects.

MBI is currently building a fiber-optic "backbone" throughout Western Massachusetts called MassBroadband 123 that will travel through the centers of many underserved and unserved towns. Read the entire article here.